THE CONCEPT MAP AS A RESEARCH AND EVALUATION TOOL - FURTHER EVIDENCE OF VALIDITY

This study sought further evidence of the concurrent validity of conce pt mapping as a research and evaluation tool in science education. Spe cifically, the study examined the extent to which differences exist in the concept maps of advanced college biology majors (N = 25) and begi nning nonmajors (N = 25) in the domain of mammals. Furthermore, it exp lored whether these differences are reflected in the way subjects assi gn class membership as revealed in a card sorting task. The results in dicate that concept maps of biology majors are structurally more compl ex than those of nonmajors and that differences in the structural comp lexity and organizational patterns depicted in concept maps are reflec ted in the underlying dimensions used to assign class membership. Toge ther, these findings suggest that the concept map provides a theoretic ally powerful and psychometrically sound tool for assessing conceptual change in experimental and classroom settings.